Ultimate Truth

[barney 0]

Ultimate Truth

Whatever different the approach may be but ultimately your oblation goes to the Supreme Brahman. It is simple to understand but for certain people it will take a very long period to comprehend the real truth. Take for instance when a child is sick, the maternal parents will attend to he /she day and night and at the same time you will see uncles, aunties, cousins and all other relatives attending with loving care but it is all from the same source the great great-grand parent whom the child would not have seen, Just because the child did not see does not mean that the great-great grand did not exist once. If not for them all these relations or for that matter the child would not be here. So, ultimately there is a Supreme Brahman whom we call God and the rest are manifestation of that reality. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Sakthi, Ganesha, Murugan and the nine avatars of Vishnu, all belongs to the Supreme Reality who goes by thousands of namas. Only the sages had realized this truth that is because they have the inner eye we call nyana kann or the third eye which is hidden inside each and everyone of us but would not open if you do not reach the level of spiritual awareness. Just reading the scriptures alone would not suffice, one need to submerge in it, show compassion to all, give selfless service to mankind, rid of the I and egoistic and self-centered thoughts, jealousy and being fanatical of personal God. In Hinduism pay your spiritual homage to your personal god whoever he may be but do not forget that it ultimately reaches the Supreme Reality who is without form and with form, without name and with names and this universe exist because he exist. He is the light and sight that we see so do not blind although you have the sight. We can argue but it should be a healthy argument which in turn would increase our spiritual knowledge but do not argue for the sake of argument. Fact is what we need and we have all the references we need in our Vedas. May the Grace of the Supreme Brahman be with us all.

 

Barney.

06/03/04

 

[Guest guest]

"Whatever different the approach may be but ultimately your oblation goes to the Supreme Brahman"

••no, it is not true... if in the practical life you call john or mary it is not the same thing to call frank or sally... and there's also the fact that one does not necessarily want to call impersonal brahman, when i pray i want to call param brahman sri krishna who says in the gita to be the source of everything, brahman included

 

It is simple to understand but for certain people it will take a very long period to comprehend the real truth.

••simply different opinions, do not try to make others appear more stupid and immature than you, be respectiful and tolerant

 

So, ultimately there is a Supreme Brahman whom we call God and the rest are manifestation of that reality. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Sakthi, Ganesha, Murugan and the nine avatars of Vishnu, all belongs to the Supreme Reality who goes by thousands of namas

••it is not logical that the subordinates have more features than the supreme.... siva, visnu or krsna can speak, act, live in a world, have relationships, love, move, have sentiments, dress, tastes, eat and every expression of personality.. but their source is a fixed, impersonal, not dinamic, formless, brahman... not logic. Personal is the source of impersonal, not the opposite

 

Just reading the scriptures alone would not suffice, one need to submerge in it, show compassion to all, give selfless service to mankind, rid of the I and egoistic and self-centered thoughts, jealousy and being fanatical of personal God.

••this is your speculation, it is an insult to who, believing and worshipping a personal god has not developed the qualities that you give to him... so better to speak when you have more informations. One can be a fanatical egoist feeling himself elected by a personal god, or one, like you , can be a sectarian, insulting fanatical, saying many false and not demonstrated things to people with different opinions on transcendence..

so be more tolerant and open minded

 

do not forget that it ultimately reaches the Supreme Reality who is without form and with form, without name and with names

•••your theory that you are giving as an obligatory dogma with no demonstration

 

We can argue but it should be a healthy argument which in turn would increase our spiritual knowledge but do not argue for the sake of argument

••yes, very good, this instruction is valid for you too

 

Fact is what we need and we have all the references we need in our Vedas

••facts and references that in the opinion of many people do not bring to your position

 

 

there's no problem if there's difference in opinions, i personally have no problems... but i have problems when there's one who brings a false conciliatory theory that for me is almost a blasphemy claiming that i have to accept or i am one who likes childlish quarrelling

 

so keep with your idea of the absolute as formless brahman, try to promote it with scriptures and logic, but respect others

[barney 0]

Opinions are many, concepts varies but the truth is one and that is God. Call it what you want makes no difference coz he is the one and the same. Gosh! I did not know I am dealing with a fanatic. Fanatisim breeds enemity and ultimatley war. If you feel your path is the right path go ahead there is no one to stop but why have a conflict here. Here we exchange knowledge and if it does not please that just ignore. Being sarcastic will not help in your spritual journey. Learn to be humble which is what is expected of spritualism not confrontation. If you differ please explain instead of being sarcastic.

[barney 0]

Shankaracharya (7th century A.D.) preached Advaita or Monism.

 

Sri Ramanuja (12th century) preached a blend of monism and dualism.

 

Madhvacharya or Anandatirtha (13th century) preached Dwaita philosophy.

 

All the above three were recognized by the Hindu markam as proficient acharyas of Sanadhana Dharma or Hinduism as it is known the world over. Even during their time there were people who were ignorant of the truth, despised and ridiculed them but that did not deter their mission because they were destined to reform the Hindu religion.

 

Shankara's arrival on the scene was at a most critical juncture when both Buddhism and Hinduism were fast disintegrating into various sects and cults. Buddha's original teachings were a reaction to the vedic sacrificial extremities. But in the later centuries practices like magic and sexual mysticism crept into Buddhism. Vedic religion was not very different, having given way to superstitious ways, and a large number of rituals. It was Shankara who tried to re-assess and integrate sound teachings of Buddha in the vedic (Hindu) following, and was successful in the revival and reformation of Hindu thinking and way of life.

Sri Ramanuja (born in 1017 A.D. -- not to be confused with the great Indian mathematician with the same name) appeared on the spiritual scene of South India ignited by the devotional revolution started by the Alvars. He came from a pious Brahmin family and studied all holy scriptures as was the practice. But he could not reconcile to monistic system and interpreted Brahma-sutras and Bhagavadgita in his own volition of synthesizing devotion and knowledge. According to him, God, the soul, and the universe together formed one reality. God is all pervading supreme spirit. The universe comes out of Him and returns to Him in cycles. He said that God-realization was possible only through Bhakti, which was a spiritual discipline.

Madhvacharya had to face a lot of opposition due to his preaching which were quite opposite to established norms of worship and belief. Tradition exists that his commentaries (on palm leaf books) were stolen and destroyed. There is a story depicting his fearlessness in crossing a flooded river, facing armed robbers in a forest and a Muslim king who had no sympathy towards Hindu monks. He spoke to the sultan in Persian, convincing him that his Allah and his own Narayana are one and the same. " We are all citizens of His Kingdom."

At the age of 79, the acharya left for his final pilgrimage from Udupi to Badari--never to be seen again. Madhva Navami is observed in his memory. The temple town of Udipi bears Madhva's memory at every step with eight mathas and innumerable followers, who throng everyday throughout the year.

Thus we find that there is but one scripture as the source common to the different sects and schools of thought in the Hindu religion.

This source includes the Upanisads. On ten of them (Dasopanisad) the great teachers of the Saiva, Vaisnava, and Smarta traditions have written commentaries. The Upanisadic texts proclaim that the Brahman is the one and only Godhead: In the Kathopanisad it is called Visnu; in the Mandukyopanisad it is called Sivam. All the deities mentioned in the Samhitas of the Vedas- Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Indra and so on - are diffrerent names of the same Truth. So it is said in the Vedas: "Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti. "

The Vedas that constitute the scripture common to all and which reveal the Godhead that is common to us also teach us how to lead our life, and- this is important- they do us the ultimate good by showing us in the end the way to become that very Godhead ourselves. They are our refuge both here and the hereafter and are the source and root of all our different traditions, all our systems of thought. All sects, all schools of our religion, have their origin in them. The root is one but the branches are many.

The Vedas are the source not only of various divisions of Hinduism, all the religions of the world may be traced back to them. It is our bounden duty to preserve them for all time to come with their glory undiminished.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

The ultimate truth is that we are not this body. We are all spirit souls part and parcel of the Supersoul who is residing within everybody since time immemorial. The Supersoul is the localized Paramatma which entered into every living and non-living entity. It is therefore the Supersoul which directs all spirit souls present within the body. It is hence all-pervading since it is present within every inanimate or animate object.

The Supersoul is described in Srimad Bhagavatam as Vasudeva because He is the Cause of all causes. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Vasudeva( Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Sarvam Iti Mahatma Sudarlabha).

In that book, Vasudeva is described as Krsna`s father. So, if we say Lord Vasudeva it means no other than Krsna. Krsna, who is the son of Vasudeva has been described in that sastra as the Supersoul which entered into every living and non-living entity in His expanded form as Maha-Visnu.

The ultimate truth is that Krsna is indeed present within everybody as the Supersoul who sits side by side the spirit soul within the body.

Would you not therefore pay your respects unto Him who has given you everything?

Why don`t you all humble yourselves and listen to His divine instructions and follow them, as it is?

 

from: krsnaraja prabhu

[barney 0]

That is because every second I mention lord SHIVA's name. Only his name appears in my thought so I believe, in that case only he resides in my soul. But even when I mention his name I know ultimately it is the Paramathma who is the Supreme Brahma so, it does not matter which name we utter coz he is in every name and every soul. Only the ignorant fanatic think otherwise.

[Guest guest]

Opinions are many, concepts varies but the truth is one and that is God

••but my concept of god differs from yours.. so do not impose it to me

 

Call it what you want makes no difference coz he is the one and the same

••this is your concept.. you do not understand that what you feel as a conciliation, a pacification, an unification is no so for many me included..

 

I did not know I am dealing with a fanatic. Fanatisim breeds enemity and ultimatley war

••and a fanatism is also to impose to everyone that all is the same without even demonstrating it

 

If you feel your path is the right path go ahead there is no one to stop but why have a conflict here

••you are making conflicts wanting to impose to everyone that everything is the same... leave people be different, peaceful but different

 

Here we exchange knowledge and if it does not please that just ignore.

••or discuss... we're in a forum

 

Being sarcastic will not help in your spritual journey.

••where's sarcasm?

 

Learn to be humble which is what is expected of spritualism not confrontation

••confrontation and exchanging realization is a very effective thing to gain spiritual knowledge... where's fanaticism, the first thing who stops is dialogue

 

If you differ please explain instead of being sarcastic.

••i have xplained..... variety exists also in the spiritual world, so brahman is not the ultimate truth because it does not contains variety..

 

the utlimate truth is divine personality and there's difference, there's some devatas who are simple souls like us, there's avataras, god's manifestations, and there's a supreme god who manifests everything

 

so there's differences... big and important differences

 

and it is logic because in this world there's variety, so in the spiritual realm, the source of everything, there's also variety

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jai Ganesh

 

Unless one is realised, Supreme Lord is just an obscure concept.

 

Bg 9.15

Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the universal form

 

 

Supreme Brahman is one without a second he/she is known in many different names and forms.

To some he is the super soul within the heart to some he is nirvikar nirRupam nirguna and yet some see him as Bhagvan.

 

He is not knowable by perception, turned inward or outward, nor by both combined.

He is neither that which is known, nor that which is not known, nor is he the sum of all that might be known.

He can not be seen, grasped, bargained with.

He is undefineable, unthinkable, indescribable.

THE ONLY PROOF OF HIS EXISTENCE IS UNION WITH HIM

He is the peaceful, the good, the one without a second.

This is the fourth condition of the self- the most worthy of all. (Mandukya Upanishad)

 

Jai Shree Krishna

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

"Unless one is realised, Supreme Lord is just an obscure concept."

••1)so why you are speaking?2)it is obscure but some simple concepts are easy to understand... the word "supreme lord" means "personality" and "variety"... if there's lord (bhagavan) there's the qualities of this lordships, if there's a lord, there's subordinates (=variety) and if there's "supreme" it means that there's some "subordinate lords"(=avataras, expansions and devatas)

 

"Bg 9.15

Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the universal form"

•••yes... this i s a transcendental person not impersonal brahman... even the concept here most close to impersonalism, the universal form, is indeed a form... personality

 

you quote the gita to demonstrate the opposite ?

[Guest guest]

Re

("Unless one is realised, Supreme Lord is just an obscure concept."

••1)so why you are speaking?2)

 

It’s a free world, if some express an opinion, you think that’s an imposition, if you say some thing it is absolute is that it?

 

Re

 

(it is obscure but some simple concepts are easy to understand... the word "supreme lord" means "personality" and "variety"... if there's lord (bhagavan) there's the qualities of this lordships, if there's a lord, there's subordinates (=variety) and if there's "supreme" it means that there's some "subordinate lords"(=avataras, expansions and devatas)

 

I agree the lord is a person, but he is in no way limited, you can not quantify him or her.

What is true for you is your realisation, what Barney see in Lord Shiva is his.

To me these are still a concept, until I am realized it will remain so. Even when I see the creator he or she will be a small realization for if i understand the concept of eternity it means unending.

 

"Bg 9.15

Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the universal form"

 

Re

(•••yes... this i s a transcendental person not impersonal brahman... even the concept here most close to impersonalism, the universal form, is indeed a form... personality)

 

You are just obsessed by impersonal Brahman; I quoted this verse to demonstrate that people do worship the same supreme lord in many different ways .

 

Re

(you quote the gita to demonstrate the opposite ?)

 

No you misunderstand me

 

Jai Shree Krishna

 

[Guest guest]

I agree the lord is a person, but he is in no way limited, you can not quantify him or her.

••of course

 

To me these are still a concept, until I am realized it will remain so

•••to me also, i am not realized, but the important thing is to have right concepts

 

Even when I see the creator he or she will be a small realization for if i understand the concept of eternity it means unending.

•••if you see the creator there's nothing beyond him, you will see in him the SAT(eternity), CIT(consciousness), ANANDA(bliss)

the possibility to see the creator is given by him.. if he show him to us he gives us the possibility to understand

 

You are just obsessed by impersonal Brahman

••no.. why?.. it is very nice to see god everything, all pervading.. but it is not the absolute truth

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jai Ganesh

 

Re

(•••if you see the creator there's nothing beyond him, you will see in him the SAT(eternity), CIT(consciousness), ANANDA(bliss)

 

Yes but he can not be sum total of all that he reveals to me.

 

re

(the possibility to see the creator is given by him.. if he show him to us he gives us the possibility to understand)

 

He is the most merciful, only I fail to see that, he reside in the heart, and sees our desires.

 

Re

(You are just obsessed by impersonal Brahman

••no.. why?.. it is very nice to see god everything, all pervading.. but it is not the absolute truth)

 

If it is not truth; Is it Maya? Is any aspect of him false?

 

Jai Shree Krishna

 

[Guest guest]

If it is not truth; Is it Maya? Is any aspect of him false?

••impersonal brahman is truth, but not absolute, because the source of him, the source of his existence is the personal aspect..... personal contains impersonal, not the opposite

[Guest guest]

Jai Ganesh

 

Re

(If it is not truth; Is it Maya? Is any aspect of him false?

••impersonal brahman is truth, but not absolute, because the source of him, the source of his existence is the personal aspect..... personal contains impersonal, not the opposite

 

Is there a source of his existence?

 

Every thing is cotained within him,both personal and impersonal exist simultaneously.

 

Jai Shree Krishna

[Guest guest]

"Every thing is cotained within him,both personal and impersonal exist simultaneously."

 

i am not speaking of time... you also are eternal, but your life comes from god, not the opposite

 

so brahman is eternal like bhagavan but bhagavan emanates brahman, not the opposite

 

[Guest guest]

••confrontation and exchanging realization is a very effective thing to gain spiritual knowledge... where's fanaticism, the first thing who stops is dialogue

 

Confrontation is not neccessary to attaining spiritual realization, debate maybe but not confrontation..secondly if one thing works for one and another thing works for the other ..let it be, theres no point in saying my way is superior to yours...hinduism says there are many ways of reaching god...the paths are many, BUT the destination is ONE...not many

 

••i have xplained..... variety exists also in the spiritual world, so brahman is not the ultimate truth because it does not contains variety..

 

just like an ocean is same, but different from a drop of water....so is variety in the spiritual world.., it contains variety yet has one universal truth..like there is variety in human beings in forms of different races and beliefs, but we are all the same at the same time..human beings..ultimate truth..

 

yes there is variety everywhere..but within that variety there is also ultimate truth..that is what brahman is about

[Guest guest]

secondly if one thing works for one and another thing works for the other ..let it be, theres no point in saying my way is superior to yours

••this is dialogue... if we show our views there's nothing bad.. personally i have no problem if one thinks different from me, The problem arises when one says that we have to think in the same way to be peaceful

 

hinduism says there are many ways of reaching god...the paths are many, BUT the destination is ONE...not many

••between these paths currently proposed by today's hinduism i think that some are going to the absolute, some to partial goals, some others nowhere, and some others against dharma and spirituality in general. So if to be hinduist we have to believe that every indian religion, without discrimination, is going to the absolute, well i am not hinduist. Opposite directions but same goal... illogic.

 

yes there is variety everywhere..but within that variety there is also ultimate truth..that is what brahman is about

•••you make difference between ultimate truth and variety, i do not make... ultimate truth is spiritual variety, vaikunta, the association of personal god and the personal jivatmas eternally liberated united in an eterna relationship full of sat, cit and ananda... there's nothing beyond vaikunta. Not that brahman is beyond vaikunta and contains and emanate it.

Brahman is empty, nirguna.. nothing inside.... Vaikunta is full of variety, life, activity... it is not contained in brahman, Yes from the opposite.

Krsna says in gita "i am the source of impersonal brahman" not "brahman is where i come from"

 

so if it is obligatory to believe in the brahman as the ultimate truth to be hindu.... no problem.... i'm vaishnava and i'm not hindu

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

••between these paths currently proposed by today's hinduism i think that some are going to the absolute, some to partial goals, some others nowhere, and some others against dharma and spirituality in general. So if to be hinduist we have to believe that every indian religion, without discrimination, is going to the absolute, well i am not hinduist. Opposite directions but same goal... illogic.

 

 

YEs but if one has experienced god through his/her way ..that is the best way for that person...if someone who thinks diffrently from you has experienced god thorugh there way..and you through your way then ..how do you know which path is going to the absolute and which to the partial goal.

Many chrisitans have claimed to experinced god, so have hindus and muslims...etc...whose path is partial and whose is absolute. Infact hinduism says that there are many paths to the same destination..some paths are thornier and longer than others, but they all have the same destination....

SO all paths lead to the same destination..some are longer than others...they might require more re-births to reach god than you but all aim for one thing..brahman.

 

..Brahman is empty, nirguna.. nothing inside.... Vaikunta is full of variety, life, activity... it is not contained in brahman, Yes from the opposite.

Krsna says in gita "i am the source of impersonal brahman" not "brahman is where i come from"

 

Yes I agree with you on this one, but you fail to understand one thing..having an ultimate/absolute truth does not exclude variety in any way.You can have one and yet be the other.

[Guest guest]

YEs but if one has experienced god through his/her way ..that is the best way for that person.............................. how do you know which path is going to the absolute and which to the partial goal.

••if i cannot check the experience of this person i have to use the logic.. and if the logic does not satisfy me i do not believe blindly.. i repeat, no problem living with people with different opinion but i keep mine and i'm not obsessed by this "all is the same(tato math tato path)" mania

 

Many chrisitans have claimed to experinced god, so have hindus and muslims...etc...whose path is partial and whose is absolute

••yes ... inside what is called hinduism there's positions more close to christianism and islamism than to other "hinduist" path.. so sometimes they are more close to the sanatana dharma than some theories born in indian subcontinent

 

SO all paths lead to the same destination..some are longer than others...they might require more re-births to reach god than you but all aim for one thing..brahman.

••simply you are obstinate and impositive.. you do not know that for some schools brahman is not the absolute.. but you are proposing brahman indiscriminately without any explanation. I repeat, in my opinion brahman is not the absolute and who says that brahman is the absolute is very far to my opinion, almost offensive, more far from sanatana dharma than a christian for example. So do not impose your idea... or study a little the various theories, vasihnavism in this case, that you put under the "hinduism" label. In this way you will not agree but you'll understand my position

 

having an ultimate/absolute truth does not exclude variety in any way.

••life is more simple.... krsna says "i am the source of brahman"... who says "brahman is the source of krishna" is wrong... if you want to put them under the same label, do it at your risk and peril

 

You can have one and yet be the other.

••the things have to be explained , we are human, rational, discriminative... simply you are repeating "all aim for one thing... brahman" showing simply a faith, blind faith... i change idea if there's some logic.. sorry

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

 

The Dvaita Philosophy Of Sri Madhvacharya

 

Introduction

Sri Madhvacharya evolved a dualistic system of philosophy out of the Prasthana-Traya, viz., the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Brahma Sutras. It is an unqualified dualism. Madhva’s Vaishnavism is called Sad-Vaishnavism, in order to distinguish it from the Sri Vaishnavism of Ramanujacharya.

Madhva makes an absolute distinction between God, and animate and inanimate objects. God is the only independent Reality. The animate and inanimate objects are dependent realities. Madhva’s Vedanta is the doctrine of absolute differences. It is an Atyanta-Bheda-Darsana. He insists on five great distinctions (Pancha-Bheda), viz., (i) the distinction between God and the individual soul, (ii) the distinction between God and matter, (iii) the distinction between the individual soul and matter, (iv) the distinction between one soul and another and (v) the distinction between one material thing and another. Madhva’s philosophy is a philosophy of distinction. Every follower of the Madhva school should have a firm belief in this fivefold distinction, known as the Pancha-Bheda.

You can clearly grasp Sri Madhvacharya’s philosophy if you study his commentary on the Brahma Sutras and Anu-Vyakhyana, his commentaries on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita, and his glosses on the Mahabharata (Bharata-tatparya-nirnaya) and on the Bhagavata Purana.

Madhva’s philosophy has many points in common with those of Ramanuja. In Madhva’s system of philosophy, Hari or Vishnu is the Supreme Being. The world is real. Difference is true. All the Jivas are dependent on Hari, the Lord. There are grades of superiority and inferiority among the individual souls. Liberation is the individual soul’s enjoyment of its innate bliss. This is Moksha or the final emancipation. Bhakti, or devotion, without faults, is the means of attaining Moksha. Perception, inference and the scriptures are the three Pramanas, or ways of knowledge. Hari is knowable only through the Vedas. Worship of Lord Krishna as taught in the Bhagavata Purana is the centre of his religion. This is the quintessence of Madhva’s teachings.

The Categories

According to Madhva, Padartha or objective reality is of two kinds-independent (Svatantra) and dependent (Paratantra). God, the Supreme Being, is the only independent Reality. The soul and the world are dependent realities. God rules them. The dependent beings are of two varieties-positive and negative. Conscious souls (Chetana), and unconscious entities like matter and time (Achetana), are the two varieties of the positive. Unconscious entities are either eternal like the Vedas, or eternal and non-eternal like Prakriti, time and space or non-eternal like the products of Prakriti.

The Supreme Being And His Consort

The Supreme Being is Vishnu or Narayana. He is the personal first cause. He is the Intelligent Governor of the world. He lives in Vaikuntha along with Lakshmi, His consort. He and His consort Lakshmi are real. Brahma and Vayu are two of His sons. One can know His nature through a study of the Vedas. He manifests Himself through various Vyuhas or Group-forms, and through Avataras. He is present in the sacred images. He is also the Antaryamin or the Inner Controller of all souls. He creates, maintains and destroys the world.

God is free from Doshas or faults. He is endowed with all auspicious qualities. He is omnipresent or all-pervading and independent. He is beyond time and space. He is greater than Lakshmi. There is no other who is greater than Lakshmi. She is the foremost of the dependents. Lakshmi is the Lord’s Sakti or energy. She is the personification of His power or creative energy. Lakshmi can put on various forms without a material body. She is co-eternal with Vishnu and all-pervading. She beholds the glory of Her Lord through eternity. She is Nitya-Mukta, i.e., eternally free from Samsara. She is not affected by sorrow and pain. She is intelligent.

Prakriti-The Material Cause Of The World

God is the efficient-but not the material-cause of the world, because Prakriti which is the world-stuff is different from Him. Prakriti is the material cause of the world. It evolves into the visible world. All the objects, bodies, and organs of the souls are made out of Prakriti. God energises Prakriti through Lakshmi. Then there is creation.

The three aspects of Prakriti are presided over by the three Powers: Lakshmi, Bhu and Durga. Avidya is a form of Prakriti. It obscures the spiritual powers of the individual soul. It forms a veil which hides the Supreme from the vision of the individual soul.

Mahat, Ahankara (egoism), Buddhi, mind, the ten senses, the five sense-objects, and the five great elements are the modifications of Prakriti. These exist in the primordial Prakriti in subtle forms before their evolution.

The World-A Reality Distinct From God

According to Madhva, the world is not an illusion. It is not also a transformation of God, as curd is of milk. Madhva does not admit that the world is the body of God. The distinction between God and the world is absolute and unqualified. Hence the system of Madhva is called Dvaita or unqualified dualism.

The Individual Soul-A Distinct Entity

Plurality of Souls

There is plurality of Jivas. They are all of atomic size. The entire universe is filled with Jivas or individual souls. Every atom of space is filled up with Jivas. Madhva says in his ‘Tattvanirnaya’: “Infinite are the souls dwelling in an atom of space.”

No two Jivas are alike in character. They are essentially different from one another. There are different grades amongst them even in their enjoyment of bliss after salvation.

A Real Distinction Between Jiva And Brahman

The Jivas are different from God, and from matter. Madhva regards the distinction between Brahman and Jiva as real.

Though the Jiva is limited in size, it pervades the body owing to its quality of intelligence. The Jivas are active agents, but they depend on the guidance of the Lord. The Lord impels the Jivas to action in accordance with their previous conduct. They are eternal, and by nature, blissful. But, the connection with material bodies due to their past Karma makes them suffer pain and undergo transmigration. So long as they are not freed from their impurities, they wander about in the Samsara. They pass from birth to death, and from death to birth. When their impurities are removed, they attain salvation. The natural bliss of the soul becomes manifest at the time of Moksha or salvation.

Salvation Does Not Entitle the Soul to Equality With God

The soul does not attain equality with God. It is entitled only to serve Him.

Even in heaven, there are essential differences among the Jivas. The classes of souls in the realm of bliss are various. There are different grades also. The liberated souls are not all equal; but, there is no discord among them, because they all know Brahman and have no faults.

Classification of Souls

Madhva accepts Ramanuja’s classification of the souls into Nitya or eternal (like Lakshmi), Mukta or liberated (the gods, men, Rishis, sages and fathers), and Baddha or bound ones. The third group consists of two classes: (i) those who are eligible for Moksha (Mukti-yogya) and (ii) those who are not so eligible. Of those who are not eligible for salvation, there are two classes again: (a) those who are bound to the cycle of Samsara forever (Nitya-samsarins) and (b) those whose destiny is hell, the region of blinding darkness (Tamo-yogya).

Some are pre-ordained for the final emancipation by their inherent aptitude. Some others are eternally destined either to wander in Samsara without end, or to go to the world of darkness. The Sattvika souls go to heaven, the Rajasa souls revolve in Samsara and the Tamasa souls fall into hell.

Bhakti-The Means To Salvation

Bhakti is the means to salvation. Souls attain salvation through the grace of God. That grace comes on the devotee only through the mediator Vayu, the son of Vishnu. God cannot be approached directly. Vayu is the mediator. The grace of the Lord is in proportion to the intensity of devotion.

Worship of God is the indispensable preliminary condition for obtaining the grace of God. The soul is saved by the knowledge that it is dependent on God and is under His control. Correct knowledge results in the love of God. Bhakti is the result of knowledge of the greatness of God.

Ankana, Namakarana, Bhajana and Smarana

The worship of Vishnu consists in: (i) Ankana, marking the body with His symbols, (ii) Namakarana, giving the Names of the Lord to children, (iii) Bhajana, singing His glories, and (iv) Smarana, constant practice of remembrance of God. Madhva says: “Form a strong habit of remembering God. Then only it will be easy for you to remember Him at the moment of death.” He pointed out that when the Lord incarnated, no Prakrita Deha or material body was put on by Him. Madhva has prescribed a rigorous kind of fasting to his followers.

Practice of Sadhana

Good moral life is a preliminary for Moksha. The aspirant should equip himself with the study of Vedas, control of the senses, dispassion and perfect self-surrender, if he wants to have vision of the Lord. Renunciation, devotion and direct cognition of the Lord through meditation, lead to the attainment of salvation. The devotee attains direct intuitive realisation of God through meditation and divine grace. Then he is freed from the round of births and deaths.

These are some of the important teachings of Sri Madhvacharya, the renowned exponent of the dualistic school of philosophy.

 

[Guest guest]

Radha is the ultinate truth. In fact Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is no other than Krsna himself descended to this material world 500 yrs.ago in order to understand more about his internal pleasure potency who is known as Radha. And it was through Ramananda Raya that we came to learn about Krsna`s internal pleasure potency after the former, out of love for the Lord, was able to answer the questions asked by latter regarding the nature and personality of

Radha. RadhaKrsna is no other than Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Hence, without Radha there`s nothing, nothing at at all, except Krsna.

If you were Krsna would it not be boring to have all these expansions at your immediate disposal and yet devoid of the presence of Radha? Of course not!

I would, in short, create from within me unlimited number of Radhas so this material world be a wonderful place to enjoy one`s pastimes with.

Imagine, therefore, Goloka Vrndavan without Radha.

 

from: Krsnaraja Prabhu